THE mother of a ten-year-old diagnosed with a life limiting condition has thanked staff at Ysbyty Gwynedd’s Children’s Ward for their "outstanding care."

Mali Ann Hughes, from Benllech, was diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes on 15 December 2016. Her mother, Karen Hughes, became concerned when her daughter started becoming increasingly thirsty and feeling extremely tired.

She said: “About two weeks before her diagnosis we noticed that she was very tired, however she had been busy in the build up to Christmas so we just tried to get her to rest.

“Mali hadn’t been drinking a lot of water in school so we reminded her how important this was so in the run-up to her diagnosis we noticed how much more water she was drinking but at this point we just thought she’d taken note what we said.

“The night before diagnosis she had a pain her tummy and I made her an appointment with the GP the following the morning.

“Following examination Mali was sent to Ysbyty Gwynedd and at this point we had no idea what was ahead of us.”

The team on Dewi Ward carried out full blood checks and within less than two hours Mali was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

“Once Mali arrived on Dewi Ward she underwent a number of tests and within an hour and a half she was being injected with insulin and her little life changed forever.

“Our journey from the GP to Dewi Ward, including now with Mali’s Paediatric Diabetes team has been an extremely positive experience.

“They have been supportive to us all as a family, listening to our fears and needs and doing their utmost to give Mali the best care and reassurances with guidance and support.

“The doctors and nurses on Dewi Ward were so kind and caring towards us and particularly Mali, they understood she was scared and gave her reassurance that she would soon start to feel better.

“We could never thank them enough for what they did and do on a daily basis for the children they come into contact with,” added Karen,

Type 1 Diabetes is a lifelong condition where the body’s immune system attacks and destroys cells that produce insulin and can cause serious long-term health problems.

Since Mali’s diagnosis Karen has been raising awareness of the symptoms of the condition amongst her family and friends.

She said: “A lot of people think diabetes runs in the family but that is incorrect, we don’t have Type 1 Diabetes in our side of the family and can happen anytime to any one, particularly in children.

“We have been raising awareness in Mali’s school, Ysgol Llanbedrgoch, where we have seen a real interest and they have all been amazing with my daughter.

“It is so important that people are aware of the symptoms and act on them straight away.”

Mali and her class mates visited the Children’s Ward before Christmas and presented the staff with a £70 donation following a collection within the school.

Ward manager, Nerys Pritchard, said: “It was lovely to see Mali and Karen back on the ward recently, we really appreciate feedback from children and families.

“We always appreciate the feedback from our patients as it really helps staff to feel valued and encourages them to deliver the very best care to children and families.

“We want to thank Mali and Karen and the pupils of Ysgol Llanbedrgoch for their kind donation.

“And also we would like to say a big thank you for the very beautiful impromptu singing session they gave us that warmed the hearts of patients and staff.”

Ipsoregulated

This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here